It swallowed Ren utterly and pulled him deep into some place where time did not exist. His senses shifted; he was caught somewhere in a dream, somewhere altogether older and deeper. The Resonance inside churned furiously, no longer just a power to be tapped but alive. It wanted more.
Deeper. deeper." The whispered words wrapped around his mind, holding it fast in their cold grasp. A gift now felt more like chains, dragging him toward some bottomless void.
Ren blinked and tried to get his balance back. When his vision finally cleared, he was no longer standing in his apartment but was standing on the edge of some huge endless sea. Yet, the water didn't look like anything he had ever seen: black, thick as tar; it shifted, twisted as if it were a living thing, and whispered to him in a voice he couldn't hear.
Above him, the sky was one vast sweep of shifting clouds, the same dark forces that had taken over his body a while back. The horizon was crossed by lightning, yet no thunder boomed. The silence was very loud.
What. is this?" Ren's voice cut the stillness, very low, as he turned to scan in all directions. Every direction gave onto the same view of strange, alien land and nothing but churning, living sea beneath his feet.
"You are in the Abyss," a voice whispered this time, not in his mind.
Ren turned toward a figure far away, just shrouded in the dark. He could not make out anything, and yet the feeling seemed to be strong, weighing like an extra load on his body. It wasn't another dream; it felt as if this was real.
The figure drew closer, and with every step they took, it seemed the world around shook, almost as if it would shift to their whim.
It's where all go who bear the mark of the Beacon, he said, and his voice sounded weirdly distant, few get taken over by it while others learn to use it.
Ren's heart beat fast. "Who are you?"
The figure did not answer anything, but he lifted his hand and the sea behind his back started to stir wildly, rising like so big a wave of darkness. Ren felt the strength in it, the one which was in him, grow with every passing second.
This feeling you feel is but a small fraction of what that Abyss contains, he said coldly. You need to learn to keep it under control, or else it will take over should you want to survive.
Ren's face scrunched up in frustration and fear as his fists clenched. "I don't understand any of this! What is the Beacon? Why me? What do you want from me?"
The figure stood and said nothing for quite a while. Then his hand slowly came down, and the sea was still again, calm. When he spoke next, his voice went softer, almost sad.
"The Beacon picks those it thinks are worthy. But being picked isn't a blessing-it's a curse. You're marked now, Ren Valt. You can't ever go back to the way it was.
While his mind seemed to speed up, going faster even than the light, his head echoed with heavy words-what it really meant: he was stuck, tied to this unknown power, and no matter how hard he fought, it was a part of him.
It was melting away, outlines blurring in the flux of the fog. "The Abyss shall go on testing your mettle, Ren-the greatest is yet to come. Prepare for it.
And ere he could put any further question, the figure vanished leaving him aside the black sea: 'the cold air blew; the whisperings louder, irritated his thoughts.'.
"Vive. o muere.
Ren spun dizzy, and the world started to turn again to push him right back into reality.
Ren's eyes flickered open.
He was lying on the floor of his apartment, drenched in sweat. His heart thundered in his chest; his muscles hollered with all the anguish of running a mile just now. Still there, yet dulled beneath-the feel of the Resonance subdued for the time being. He was in control once more-at least, for the time being. His eyes flickered down to the unconscious boy beside him. The hooded figures disappeared. Whether these had been real, or part of what he was seeing, Ren could no longer say. The lines between reality and the Abyss started to blur.
He struggled to his feet, his legs weak beneath him. He wanted answers, and he wanted them real. Kael had warned him that the Abyss would test him, but she hadn't prepared him for this. Whatever that place was, whatever that figure had been, one thing was for certain: this was only the beginning. Not only was the power of the Beacon dangerous, but it was a prison, and there was no escaping it.
As he got up, there was a gentle knock at the door. This time, Ren did not wait. He picked up the knife from the floor and walked carefully to the door. Immediately, his heart started beating. What if these were some cloaked figures that came back?
He charged through the door, ready to fight.
Instead, there was no enemy, just Kael in his place, white as a ghost and strained; his eyes scanned the room-a perfect chaos, a boy, and Ren in this shape.
"You felt it, right?" she said in a low volume. "The Abyss."
Ren nodded, still getting his breath back. "Kael, what's going on with me? I saw. something. A place, a figure. they said the Beacon marked me.
Kael appeared solemn as he looked at them. She came in and shut the door behind her. "I didn't think this was going to happen so fast. But the Abyss. it is waking up. And unless you learn to control it, Ren-it will destroy you.". Ren frowned, irritation brewing in his gut. "I want answers, for once-not some riddle or vague warning. What is this Beacon? Why did it pick me? Kael sighed, his eyes latching onto his. "The Beacon is more than just a source of power; it's a gateway to something way older and far more dangerous than any place your mind could take you to. And you have been chosen because in you, the Abyss feels something-strong, perhaps, or weak-only time will tell. Ren thought of many questions, but before he uttered a word, Kael looked down at the boy on the floor. "And him?" she pursued, in a soft, grave voice. Ren shook his head. "I don't know-he showed up right before everything. went down. The one behind me's after him too.". Kael knelt beside the boy, searching for his pulse. "We have to get him to a safe place. And you-" she stood up, her gaze locking intensely with Ren's eyes "-you have to get ready. For whatever happens next. is only the beginning.